SD School Board Incumbents Fail To Take 50 Percent

SAN DIEGO  The two San Diego Unified School District Board trustees running for re-election Tuesday each failed to take 50 percent of the vote, and will have to defend their seats in a November runoff election.

In District B, teacher Kevin Beiser will square off with incumbent Katherine Nakamura. In District C, incumbent John De Beck will face taxpayers advocate Scott Barnett.

Candidates need 50 percent plus one vote to win without a runoff in the November general election.

Nakamura and De Beck often comprise the minority in 3-2 votes as the school board wrangles over how to make budget cuts.

Beiser and Barnett all concentrated on budgetary issues in their campaigns.

"I'm thrilled," said Barnett, who pointed out that 58 percent of voters in De Beck's coastal district want a new school board member.

"It's a real strong position (to be in) for November," Barnett said. "This is his district, he's represented them for 20 years, but people obviously want a change."

Beiser, a former area Math Teacher of the Year, said there were more creative ways to handle the budget reductions, which have been forced on the SDUSD because of lessened state funding.

Beiser said trustees need to take a more collaborative approach to solving the district's problems.